5~16.  7 

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FRONTISPIECE. 


THE  LEAVES  SAY  “SPRING  IS  HERE.”  (THREE  W.EEKS  LATER) 


^gW-jTE  STORAGE 


B IRature  Stub£  of  flDar^lanb  plants 


DOG-WOOD  AND  RED-BUD. 


Frederick  H.  Blodgett. 


PREFACE. 


Nature  study  is  not  Science  teaching,  nor  is  it  popular  science. 
It  is  the  observation  and  study  of  nature  as  it  appears  in  the  various 
forms  of  life  and  activity  about  us,  in  plants  and  birds,  in  animals  and 
in  streams.  The  tiny  trickle  of  water  on  the  hillside  may  begin  to  act 
upon  the  soil,  and  the  end  of  that  action  may  be  a deep  ravine.  Be- 
tween the  rill  and  the  ravine  there  is  a period  of  activity  on  the  part 
of  the  stream ; watching  this  activity,  seeing  the  what  and  how  of  it, 
would  be  nature  study  (in  geology).  Similarly  watching  the  life  activ- 
ities of  plants  is  nature  study  in  that  field. 


rr*,  7 

f3 

A NATURE  STUDY  OF  MARYLAND  PLANTS. 


Frederick  H.  Blodgett. 


IB  Lids  and  Spring. 

There  are  two  things  that  tell  us  that  spring  has  come ; buds  and 
birds ; the  same  two  tell  of  the  approach  of  winter.  Between  these  two 
• seasons  many  changes  have  taken  place  in  the  plants  that  started  the 
, year  in  bud  and  close  it  again  in  bud.  Some  plants  do  not  live  through 
i'*'  the  winter,  but  have  to  grow  every  year  from  seed,  these,  of  course, 
^ cannot  have  any  buds  to  open  in  the  spring.  Others  live  on  for  scores 
of  years,  growing  taller  each  spring  from  buds  at  the  tips  of  the 
branches. 

The  unfolding  of  the  buds  (Frontispiece),  is  one  of  the  most 
wonderful  and  most  interesting  events  of  the  plant  year.  The  gradual 
change  of  color,  noticeable  in  the  appearance  of  a strip  of  woodland, 
the  swelling  of  the  buds  themselves  until  they  burst  and  allow  the  baby 
leaves  and  tiny  blossoms  to  get  out  to  the  sunlight,  and  then  the  rapid 
growth  in  size  of  the  little  leaves ; all  this  is  included  in  the  unfolding. 
And  more,  too;  because  the  buds  start  to  grow  when  there  are  no 
leaves  on  the  tree.  The  leaves  prepare  the  nourishing  substances  that 
the  tree  uses  in  its  growth  and  existence.  These  substances,  chief  of 
which  is  starch,  are  prepared  only  when  the  green  leaves  are  on  the 
\ free,  but  the  plant  usually  does  not  use  up  in  mere  growth  all  the 
^nourishing  materials  that  the  leaves  prepare.  The  extra  material  is 
J stored  up  by  the  plants  in  several  ways.  Our  potatoes,  onions,  corn 


. and  turnips  are  examples  of  some  of  these  stored  supplies  laid  aside  by 
: the  plant  for  later  use.  The  natural  tendency  of  the  plant  to  store  up 
the  extra  material  has  been  increased  by  man  for  his  own  benefit,  as 


7 may  be  seen  by  comparing  a wild  and  a 

£ onion  or  parsnip. 

00 


highly  cultivated  form  of 


In  the  trees  and  other  woody  plants  the  extra  food  material  is 
not  ordinarily  stored  in  the  same  way  as  in  softer  plants,  yet  it  is 


2 


stored  where  it  is  convenient  for  use  when  needed.  Take  several  kinds 
of  buds  with  six  inches  or  more  of  the  twig,  and  split  them  open 
lengthwise.  Soak  them  in  alcohol  and  water  (equal  parts)  over  night, 
and  next  morning  drop  some  tincture  of  iodine  on  the  cut  surface. 
After  five  minutes  rinse  in  water  and  see  where  there  is  any  bluish  or 
blackish  stain.  This  will  tell  the  place  where  starch  is  deposited.  The 
deposit  nearest  the  tip  will  be  called  upon  especially  to  build  the  new 
parts  when  the  bud  is  changing  into  leaves  or  blossoms.  Test  all  sorts 
of  plants  for  starch,  shavings  of  different  woods,  and  leaves,  too. 

Seedlings. 

While  the  buds  are  growing  we  can  get  ready  for  the  other  kind 
of  start  that  plants  make  in  the  spring — growing  from  the  seed.  A 
number  of  pots  or  boxes  in  which  various  common  seeds  are  planted 
will  supply  a large  amount  of  material  for  nature  work  in  seedlings, 
which  are  full  of  individualities  and  differences  almost  unsuspected. 
A wide  range  can  be  given  to  this  work  by  which  much  information 
may  be  gained  and  interest  maintained.  Take  for  example  the  seeds 
of  Pumpkin,  or  Cucumber,  and  place  them  in  different  positions  in  the 
soil  of  the  boxes,  some  flat,  others  on  end,  and  on  edge,  cover  with  a 
half  inch  of  soil.  When  the  plants  come  up  see  what  happens.  Which 
seeds  grow  best?  How  does  the  seed  naturally  fall? 

In  contrast  to  the  seed  just  mentioned  try  peas  and  beans,  includ- 
ing the  Castor  “bean/’  see  how  they  differ  from  each  other  and  from 
the  first.  Notice  in  the  case  of  the  castor  seed  the  great  difference  in 
the  seed-leaf  when  it  is  in  the  seed,  and  afterward,  when  acting  as  a 
real  leaf.  Do  the  seed-leaves  and  the  true  leaves  have  the  same  shape  ? 

Exercises  upon  such  a topic  will  furnish  material  for  a number 
of  different  nature  periods,  and  will  give  some  actual  information  as 
to  the  way  nature  works. 

Botany  and  Nature  Stuiciyr. 

The  questions  and  subjects  just  outlined  will  serve  to  indicate  the 
viewr  point  of  nature  study,  but  even  in  the  writing  of  the  suggestions 
the  work  becomes  formal  and  loses  its  informal  nature-study  charac- 
ter, and  gets  dangerously  near  “Botany.”  The  two  merge  together  in 
the  study  of  plants,  and  it  is  the  skill  of  the  teacher  that  keeps  a par- 


FIGURE  1 — -“DANDY -BLOSSOMS” NO  WMTITEHEADS  YET. 


FIGURE  2 A DANDELION  FAMILY ALL  AGES. 


THE  LIBRARY 
OF  THE 


3 


ticular  piece  of  information  or  observation  in  the  form  of  a nature- 
study  exercise,  hence  attractive  and  interesting  to  the  pupil.  The 
teacher  should  by  questioning  the  pupil,  develop  the  points  to  be 
noticed,  and  obtain  their  explanation  of  the  why  of  any  change  or 
condition  seen;  adding  a hint  here  and  there  when  the  children  need 
it.  They  will  be  likely  to  give  the  active  teacher  a constant  supply  of 
things  to  be  looking  up  for  later  explanation. 

In  giving  explanations,  have  them  truthful,  but  not  technical,  and 
don’t  be  afraid  to  say  that  you  do  not  know,  if  some  point  comes  up 
that  you  can  not  answer.  There  are  still  many  points  beyond  which 
our  knowledge  does  not  yet  extend,  now  and  then  some  one  finds  one 
of  these  points.  The  plant  is  a living  thing,  but  it  is  not  an  animal, 
and  its  activities  are  distinct  from  those  of  animal  life,  although  both 
are  subject  to  the  same  laws  of  physical  and  chemical  processes.  It 
is  the  mode  of  life,  the  way  a thing  is  done  that  we  want  to  watch  in 
nature-study — it  is  the  observable  part  of  the  plant  or  animal  and  its 
life  that  the  pupil  is  interested  in,  and  which  forms  the  basis  of  nature 
work.  The  informal  rambles  and  excursions  which  the  pupil  and 
teacher  take  into  the  fields,  or  within  the  school-room,  distinguish  “na- 
ture-study” from  the  more  formal  work  in  any  one  of  the  related 
sciences. 

Spring  Blossoms. 

One  of  the  first  flowers  to  appear  is  the  Swamp  or  Skunk  Cabbage, 
which  may  be  found  in  marshy  places  as  early  as  the  middle  of  Feb- 
ruary, even  when  the  ice  lingers  on  the  water  close  to  the  plant.  It 
appears  as  a compact  roll  of  leaves  of  a peculiar  shade  of  bright  green. 
The  roll  soon  expands  into  the  separate  broad,  thin  leaves,  each  of  the 
general  form  of  a flat  cabbage  leaf.  These  may  be  found  by  the  mid- 
dle of  March  quite  abundantly  in  wet,  swampy  places.  The  second 
one  of  the  names  is  due  to  a peculiarity  of  the  bruised  leaves.  The 
flower  is  not  so  easily  located  as  the  leaves,  but  by  looking  by  the  side 
of  the  roll  of  leaves  a pointed  hood  will  be  discovered.  This  is  the 
outer  covering  of  the  flower  cluster,  just  as  the  white  part  of  the 
Calla  is  the  covering  for  the  tiny  flowers  of  that  plant.  The  shape  of 
the  flower  as  a whole,  is  after  the  plan  of  the  Jack-in-the-Pulpit,  but 
the  pulpit  is  a little  different  in  form,  and  Jack  himself  is  much  more 


4 


plump  and  fat.  The  dark  red  or  red-brown  of  the  flower  attracts  in- 
sects, and  by  their  moving  about  inside  the  hood  seeds  are  ensured,  be- 
cause the  pollen  is  properly  distributed.  The  insects  find  the  hoods 
warmer  than  the  outside  air,  and  find  also  some  nectar  to  sip,  while 
helping  themselves  to  these  benefits  they  help  the  plant  to  form  seeds, 
and  so  in  a sense  pay  for  their  board  and  lodging.  The  little  bodies 
scattered  over  the  surface  of  the  globular  center  (the  spadix)  of  the 
flower  are  the  individual  blossoms  of  the  cluster,  the  whole  cluster  with 
its  hood  (the  spathe)  being  called  a “flower”  in  ordinary  conversation. 
See  if  there  is  more  than  one  kind  of  these  little  blossoms  in  the  same 
spathe. 

Catkins  and  Pussy  Willow. 

The  Swamp  Alder  is  among  the  earliest  of  the  shrubs,  and  is  to  be 
found  in  localities  similar  to  those  of  the  Swamp  Cabbage,  and  follows 
it  quite  promptly  in  the  procession  of  spring  flowers.  They  are  among 
the  most  interesting  things  to  bring  into  the  school-room  in  the  early 
spring.  There  they  will  develop  their  catkins  in  a glass  of  water,  pro- 
ducing slender  brown  tassels  from  which  clouds  of  yellow  pollen  shake 
whenever  a gust  of  wind  or  a pupil  jars  the  twig.  This  cloud  of  pol- 
len reaches  the  tips  of  the  twigs  of  the  same  or  different  plant,  and 
finds  there  a smaller  catkin  where  it  will  lodge  and  then  seeds  will 
begin  to  develop.  These  seed  catkins  do  not  droop  like  a tassel,  but 
stand  firm,  like  a slim  bud,  at  the  tip  of  the  twigs ; see  if  you  can  find 
both  kinds.  There  are  usually  some  of  the  last  year's  seed  catkins  left, 
notice  them  and  see  how  they  differ  from  the  same  kind  of  this  year. 

The  “Pussy  Willow”  has  flowers  on  the  same  plan,  but  differing 
in  the  details.  The  willow  catkin  has  a fringe  of  hairs  or  down  on  each 
scale  that  goes  to  make  the  tassel,  and  so  looks  soft  and  fuzzy.  This 
down  hides  the  form  of  the  parts,  but  they  may  be  found  by  looking 
for  them.  The  Oak,  Hickory,  Birch  and  Chestnut  all  have  their  flow- 
ers on  the  same  general  plan  of  structure  as  the  Alder  and  Willow,  but 
each  has  changed  the  plan  to  suit  its  own  nature.  Find  both  kinds  of 
flowers  in  as  many  of  these  trees  as  possible,  there  will  be  some  sur- 
prises for  some  of  the  school. 

The  Pines  and  other  “evergreens”  that  have  cones  for  fruits,  do 
not  belong  to  the  same  group  as  these  trees  just  described,  but  their 


FIGURE  3 — SPRING  BEAUTIES  AND  THEIR  FRIENDS  IN  MEADOW  GRASS. 


FIGURE  4 — GLAD  TO  SEE  THE  SUN.  ERYTHRONIUMS  IN  BLOOM. 


THE  LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

’ IKG1S 


5 


flowers  have  the  same  form  to  the  glance — both  are  catkins.  But  in 
the  cone  trees  the  seed  is  formed  on  the  surface  of  the  scales  that 
make  the  seed-catkin  or  cone,  while  the  Alder  has  a little  jacket  for 
the  baby  plant  in  the  seed,  but  the  jacket  is  too  delicate  for  rough  hand- 
ling, and  so  it  is  not  likely  that  any  of  the  scholars  can  see  it.  But 
they  may  be  able  to  see  the  little  baby  seeds  snuggled  close  down  to 
the  base  of  the  scale  of  the  green  Pine  cone  looking  like  two  tiny  bits 
of  greenish  pearls,  with  two  little  horns  or  spines  at  the  top  of  each. 

Rapid.  Growth  of  Small  Plants. 

After  the  Swamp  Cabbage  and  the  Alder  are  out,  other  hardy 
plants  follow  in  response  to  the  warm  sunshine.  The  Shepherd’s  Purse 
is  one  of  these,  and  is  to  be  found  in  the  neglected  corners  of  many  a 
last  year’s  garden  patch.  There  are  two  things  about  the  shepherds 
purse  that  will  interest  the  pupil,  the  arrangement  of  the  leaves,  and 
the  way  that  the  flower  stalk  lengthens.  Where  are  the  first  blossoms 
produced?  Where  are  the  last,  above  or  below  or  at  one  side  from 
the  first  ones  ? How  much  does  the  stalk  grow  between  the  two  times  ? 
A plant  that  is  even  more  striking  in  its  growth  is  the  Rock  Saxifrage, 
which  starts  to  blossom  when  the  flowers  are  right  in  the  center  of 
the  leaves,  and  keeps  blossoming  and  growing  until  the  stalk  is  six 
or  eight  inches  high,  or  more.  Get  specimens  of  both  of  these  and 
grow  them  in  small  boxes  in  the  windows  where  the  differences  may  be 
watched,  and  the  life  of  the  plant  learned  at  first  hand.  After  the 
plants  are  through  blooming,  do  not  throw  them  away,  but  instead  set 
them  out  in  the  school-yard,  in  one  corner  where  they  will  not  be  dis- 
turbed, and  you  will  have  the  beginning  of  a school  garden  for  nature 
study  of  our  wild  plants.  This  saves  digging  up  so  many  plants  every 
year,  and  gives  the  teacher  a supply  of  material  convenient  for  use  if 
the  weather  is  bad  for  long  trips.  The  same  work  can  be  done  with 
great  interest  with  the  common  weeds,  get  acquainted  with  them  in 
their  winter  dress,  and  watch  the  change  from  that  to  the  summer 
styles.  By  getting  to  know  the  weeds  in  their  winter  forms  the  pupils 
may  find  out  which  are  likely  to  be  the  worst,  and  why  the  worst  ones 
are  so  hard  to  get  rid  of  in  the  field. 


6 


Two  Hardy  Fellows. 

Among  other  early  plants,  in  fact  two  that  may  be  found  almost 
the  year  around  in  warm  spots,  are  the  Chickweed  and  the  Dandelion. 
The  Chickweed  occurs  in  several  forms,  but  all  may  be  recognized  by 
the  abundant  growth  of  the  plant  as  a whole,  and  by  the  flowers. 
These  have  five  white  petals,  that  appear  like  ten,  because  of  a deep 
cleft  that  cuts  into  them  at  the  tip.  The  Dandelion,  everyone  knows 
by  sight,  but  how  many  really  are  acquainted  with  it  as  a plant? 
How  much  do  the  plants  that  grow  in  grass  look  like  those  that  grow 
on  a bare  bit  of  ground?  How  long  does  it  take  for  the  seeds  to  be- 
come blossoming  plants?  How  long  does  the  stalk  grow  before  the 
“seeds”  are  blown  away?  When  does  it  make  that  growth,  and  what 
other  changes  go  on  at  the  same  time?  In  answering  these  questions 
by  observing  the  living  plant,  some  hints  will  be  gained  as  to  the  pos- 
sible activity  of  even  our  common  weeds  that  are  full  of  instructive 
interest.  (See  plate  2). 

When  the  plants  begin  to  grow  in  the  sunny  spots  near  the  school 
and  in  vacant  lots  and  in  the  fields,  one  can  find  little  patches  of  seed- 
lings here  and  there  in  numbers  of  a hundred  or  more.  Watch  one  or 
more  of  these  spots,  and  notice  how  one  after  another  of  the  plants 
drop  behind  until  only  a few,  perhaps  not  more  than  a dozen,  will  be 
left  to  grow  up.  Try  the  same  thing  in  a box,  using  lettuce  and  rad- 
ish seed,  and  in  half  of  the  box  thin  out  the  plants  as  they  grow,  so 
as  to  give  room  as  it  is  needed,  while  in  the  other  half  leave  all  the 
plants  as  they  come.  What  differences  do  you  see  between  the  two 
halves  of  the  box?  Why  do  plants  that  are  well  cultivated  do  better 
than  the  same  kind  that  are  neglected?  A reason  for  the  difference 
in  the  cultivated  plants,  in  addition  to  that  of  crowding,  is  found  in 
the  better  use  of  soil  moisture  by  them  than  is  possible  when  weeds 
and  crowding  plants  take  away  part  of  that  needed  to  grow  the  de- 
sired plants.  See  how  much  difference  there  is  between  two  patches 
of  plants  in  respect  to  wilting  on  hot  days,  when  one  is  well  cultivated, 
and  the  other  full  of  weeds.  This  is  best  seen  in  the  summer  and  fall. 
Why? 

What  Plants  Grow  in  t hie  School  Yard? 

In  the  country  schools  the  teacher  can  give  the  older  pupils  in 
dubs  of  four  or  five,  plots  of  ground  three  or  five  feet  square  to  watch 


FIGURE  5 A HAPPY  FAMILY BLUETS,  VIOLETS,  FIVE-FINGERS  AND 

PASTURE  GRASSES. 


FIGURE  0 — A WOODLAND  PICNIC — WHITE  ERYTHRON1UM,  LEAVES  OF  WHITE  HEARTS 

AND  MANY  SEEDLINGS. 


IHt 
OF  V& 


’ MW* 


7 


from  early  spring  until  the  close  of  school  in  June,  and  then  from  the 
opening  day  until  Jack-Frost  has  claimed  the  last  hardy  plant  near 
Thanksgiving  Day.  Let  the  club  in  charge  of  each  plot  report  through 
its  different  members  the  things  that  are  noticed,  once  a week,  or 
whenever  something  is  seen  of  interest,  each  in  turn  trying  to  see 
more  than  the  previous  reporter.  These  reports  could  be  written  as 
the  week’s  composition,  and  the  best  one  from  each  club  kept  perhaps 
for  some  public  exercise.  In  these  reports  or  exercises  it  will  be  nec- 
essary to  name  the  things  seen  from  time  to  time.  Just  name  the 
plant  or  insect  with  no  more  formality  than  if  “J°lm  Smith”  became  a 
new  scholar  on  some  day  at  school.  Just  give  the  name,,  and  let  the 
pupil  get  acquainted  with  the  plant,  as  he  will  with  “John,”  and  in  the 
same  way,  by  being  with  it. 

The  clubs  will  learn  to  know  many  of  the  weeds  more  thoroughly 
in  their  plots  than  in  the  big  fields,  and  may  find  some  things  true  of 
weeds  that  they  never  suspected.  A weed  is  only  some  plant  that  is 
growing  where  some  other  plant  is  desired;  the  finest  garden  flower 
is  a weed  if  it  is  in  the  wheat  or  potato  field,  while  they  are  weeds  in 
the  flower  bed.  Many  of  our  worst  weeds  have  a rosette  of  leaves  on 
the  ground,  like  the  Dandelion  and  Shepherd’s  Purse,  others  have  seeds 
that  are  similar  to  those  of  the  crop  in  which  they  commonly 
are  found.  See  if  there  are  any  reasons  why  these  two  peculiarities  of 
some  bad  weeds  are  not  present  in  all.  What  sometimes  takes  the 
place  of  one  or  the  other  of  the  two?  (Running  rootstocks,  winged 
seeds;  find  others).  Learn  why  or  how  the  rosette  cluster  of  leaves 
is  of  advantage  to  the  plant  that  has  it,  over  one  that  has  the  leaves 
scattered.  How  about  the  crowding  by  other  plants? 

Trees  in  Bloom. 

The  Red  and  Sugar  Maples  and  the  Elms  bloom  in  the  days  fol- 
lowing soon  after  the  Alder  and  the  Shepherd’s  Purse.  The  growth  of 
the  wings  of  the  developing  fruits,  often  called  “seeds,”  in  the  case  of 
both  of  these  trees  is  very  rapid,  and  the  change  in  appearance  is  so 
marked  that  a child  can  hardly  fail  to  be  interested  in  watching  the 
development.  Examine  the  twigs  at  intervals  of  three  or  four  days, 
and  notice  what  part  does  the  most  growing.  Of  what  use  is  the  thin 
part?  Test  this  with  the  ripe  fruits. 


3 


While  these  trees,  like  the  catkin  trees,  have  their  pollen  carried 
by  the  wind,  their  flowers  are  more  easily  examined  and  the  stamens, 
pistil,  calyx  and  corolla  made  out  quite  readily.  In  the  red  maple  the 
fruits  are  conspicuously  colored,  red  at  first,  becoming  green,  finally 
turning  more  or  less  straw  color  as  they  become  ripe.  In  the  Elm  the 
fruit  is  green  up  to  almost  the  time  that  it  falls  ripe  from  the  tree,  and 
is  much  less  showy  than  is  the  Maple,  especially  as  the  leaves  appear 
while  the  fruits  are  still  conspicuous  on  the  twigs. 

Meadow  Blossoms. 

By  the  time  that  Elms  and  Maples  are  past,  there  will  be  a number 
of  low-growing  plants  in  the  mellow  soil  near  the  brooks,  and  in  warm 
ravines  ready  for  the  bees  and  other  insects.  Among  these  are  the 
Spring  Beauty,  Erythronium  and  Bluets,  and  later,  Jack-in-the-Pulpit. 

The  Spring  Beauty  has  a delicate  pink  blossom,  pencilled  with 
darker  pink  along  the  veins  of  the  petals,  and  has  narrow  fleshy  leaves. 
The  “root”  is  nearly  round  like  a marble,  with  the  leaves  and  blossoms 
growing  from  the  upper  surface.  From  the  under  surface  the  feeding 
roots  are  produced,  the  whole  being  about  two  inches  below  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil.  The  way  these  look  as  they  come  up  in  the  meadow 
can  be  seen  in  figure  3.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  the  teacher  of  Mary- 
land to  know  that  this  plant  bears  the  name  (Claytonia)  of  one  of  the 
early  travelers  in  the  Chesapeake  region  of  Maryland  and  Virginia — 
John  Clayton.  He  collected  and  sent  specimens  of  plants  to  England, 
where  they  formed  the  basis  of  Gronovius’  Flora  Virginica,  published 
in  1743.  He  also  sent  specimens  of  the  Erythronium  or  Dogs-tooth 
Violet  to  England,  but  these  had  already  been  known  for  a hundred 
years,  bulbs  having  been  sent  thither  in  1635. 

The  Erythronium  is  the  first  flower  of  the  lily  type  or  form  that 
the  spring  gives  us,  being  in  its  prime  in  the  first  half  of  April.  The 
two  spotted  leaves,  and  the  single  nodding  yellow  flower,  in  shape  like 
a tiger  lily  cannot  be  mistaken.  A colony  in  the  open  ground,  in  full 
sunlight  is  shown  in  photograph  4,  in  which  the  recurved  petals  are 
clearly  to  be  seen.  Honey  bees,  bee-flies  and  other  insects  visit  the 
flowers  and  aid  the  plant  to  set  seed  as  they  move  about  after  the 
nectar  or  pollen.  Let  some  of  the  boys  dig  for  the  bulbs,  and  deter- 
mine, by  collecting  these  at  intervals  of  a week,  how  the  flowering  bulb 


FIGURE  7 MAY  APPLES  SPREADING  THEIR  UMBRELLAS  FOR  APRIL  SHOWERS. 


FIGURE  8 — WILD  PANSIES  AMONG  THE  OAK  LEAVES. 


Itlfc  LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  0 ! IHOIS 


9 


gets  so  deep  in  the  soil  when  the  little  plants  are  almost  on  the  surface. 
Do  the  blossoms  open  the  same  on  dull  and  on  bright  days  ? When  are 
the  seeds  ripe? 

By  the  Roadside. 

About  the  same  time  that  the  Claytonia  is  in  good  flower  there  will 
appear  along  the  roadsides  and  in  pastures  the  pretty  little  blue  flower 
known  as  “Bluets”  or  “Quaker  Ladies,”  figure  5.  The  flower  has 
four  blue  petals  united  into  a tube  around  the  stamens  and  pistil.  The 
leaves  are  in  a rosette,  flat  on  the  ground.  These  little  plants  are  splen- 
did subjects  for  window-box  study,  and  when  they  are  through  flower- 
ing can  be  set  out  in  the  school-yard,  in  the  wild  corner.  Compare  this 
plant  with  the  Shepherd’s  Purse  in  respect  to  the  order  in  which  the 
flowers  appear.  Where  is  the  last  blossom  in  each  of  the  two  plants? 

In  the  woods  the  Arbutus  or  Mayflower  is  now  due.  It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  speak  of  this  delicate  friend  of  the  spring  days,  all  are  so 
fond  of  its  delicate  pink  tints  and  fragrant  perfume.  It  is  a very  slow 
grower,  and  should  not  be  dug  up,  but  studied  in  its  home,  there  it 
can  be  watched,  and  it  will  not  wither  and  die  as  it  does  when  taken 
away  from  its  home  friends.  Set  a mark  of  some  kind  close  to  one  or 
two  of  the  plants,  and  see  whether  they  have  the  same  tint  of  blossom 
two  years  in  succession.  Find  out  what  insects  visit  the  flowers,  and 
what  other  flowers  are  visited  on  the  same  trip. 

There  are  increasing  numbers  of  flowers  from  now  on,  any  one 
of  which  would  afford  hints  for  study,  and  furnish  material  for  nature 
work.  The  early  summer  is  hinting  of  its  approach  by  occasional  hot 
days,  and  we  must  get  along  before  the  Spring  flowers  are  all  gone. 

On  thie  Rocks. 

The  little  white  Saxifrage  is  in  its  prime  in  mid-April,  and  is 
worth  a study.  It  starts  with  a few  white  blossoms  tucked  away  in  the 
center  of  a rosette  of  leaves,  perhaps  two  inches  across.  Dig  up  one 
or  two  of  these,  and  bring  them  in  for  the  whole  school  to  watch.  It 
is  just  fun  to  watch  the  stem  get  longer  and  longer  as  the  flowers  in- 
crease in  numbers  and  in  age,  so  that  the  stem  that  started  in  the 
center  of  the  rosette  with  two  or  three  flowers  will  finish  its  flowering 
with  a length  of  eight  or  ten  inches.  The  growth  is  so  rapid  as  to  be 


IO 


easily  watched  by  planting  a slender  stick  by  the  plant,  and  measur- 
ing the  stalk  once  every  other  day  (use  a rule  divided  into  1-16  of  in- 
ches). When  is  the  growth  most  rapid? 

In  similar  but  more  shaded  situations,  in  the  rock  dust  and  fallen 
leaves,  the  ‘‘White  Hearts”  or  “Dutchman’s  Breeches”  are  to  be  found 
at  the  same  time  that  the  Saxifrage  is  in  flower.  The  flowers  of  the 
plant  are  shaped  like  the  “Breeches”  of  some  little  Dutch  fairy,  or  per- 
haps it  is  a “Brownie,”  but  I like  the  other  name  the  best — White 
Hearts.  Another  name  which  suggests  the  life  of  the  woods  is  “Squir- 
ril  Corn”  from  the  appearance  of  the  root,  looking  as  if  there  were  a 
cluster  of  kernels  of  pop  corn  stored  away  for  some  family  of  hungry 
squirrils.  The  leaves  of  this  plant  are  delicately  cut  into  slender  fin- 
gers along  the  edge,  and  would  afford  patterns  for  drawing  for  a 
week  or  two,  and  still  give  fresh  points  for  further  exercises,  es- 
pecially when  used  in  connection  with  the  sprays  of  white  blossoms. 
The  leaves  show  at  the  left-hand  edge  of  figure  6. 

In  Mid-April. 

By  the  middle  of  April  the  flowers  will  be  fairly  abundant,  the 
buds  on  the  trees  will  show  their  little  leaves  that  so  soon  grow  up, 
and  then  become  scattered  along  the  home  twig  as  it  develops  its 
length.  In  the  lowT  ground  especially  will  plants  be  found  in  abund- 
ance now,  and  plants  that  do  not  bloom  until  June  or  July  will  begin 
their  more  leisurely  growth.  Among  the  plants  that  develop  less  rap- 
idly than  those  already  mentioned  is  the  May  Apple.  This  is  now 
sending  its  closed  umbrellas  through  the  soil  in  the  low  ground,  as  may 
be  seen  in  the  photograph  in  figure  7.  Watch  the  umbrellas  as  they 
unfold,  and  observe  the  difference  between  the  plants  that  bloom  and 
those  that  do  not  have  a flower.  In  how  many  other  plants  in  the 
spring  is  there  a difference  between  the  flowering  and  non-flowering 
individuals,  beside  the  blossom  which  is  present  in  some  and  not  in 
others?  See  if  you  can  tell  from  the  appearance  of  a plant  whether 
it  will  blossom  this  year  or  not,  when  the  flower  bud  is  not  visible  even 
if  it  is  there. 

The  Blood-root  is  a white  star  in  the  open  woods,  among  the 
leaves  of  last  year’s  oak  and  hickory  trees.  How  is  the  flower  bud 
protected?  How  did  the  plant  get  its  name?  See  if  there  are  any 


FIGURE  9 AMONG  THE  ROCKS. 


FIGURE  10 — “INDIAN  PIPES”  THAT  NO  ONE  SMOKES. 


I1E  l ‘»WY 


I 


i»eis 


II 


other  plants  that  have  the  same  peculiarity.  If  you  find  any  see  how 
many  other  points  the  plants  have  in  common,  especially  in  regard  to 
the  flower  and  its  parts. 

Violets  should  be  found  easily  now,  and  will  give  some  of  the  pu- 
pils a pleasant  task  in  discovering  how  many  kinds  can  be  found  near 
the  school.  Look  for  the  Pansy  Violet  in  the  edge  of  pine  woods,  and 
mark  some  of  the  plants  to  see  whether  they  always  are  the  same. 
There  are  two  forms,  one  with  the  petals  purple  and  light  blue,  the 
other  with  the  light  blue  petals  only.  A cluster  of  the  wild  Pansies  is 
shown  in  figure  8.  One  of  the  other  kinds  of  Violet  is  seen  in  the  same 
photograph  with  the  Bluets  in  figure  5. 

Among  the  plants  that  have  nearly  done  blooming  by  this  time, 
and  which  have  not  been  mentioned  already,  is  the  purple  Hepatica, 
with  its  three-lobed  leaves  and  the  Mertensia  or  “Blue-bells/’  This  is 
shown  in  photograph  9,  just  to  the  right  of  the  tree  near  the  center  of 
the  picture.  On  the  other  side  of  the  tree  is  a Jack-in-the-Pulpit,  and 
some  leaves  of  the  May  Apple,  with  the  umbrellas  spread  wide,  are 
just  beyond,  near  the  edge  of  the  picture. 

The  trees,  Maple  and  Elms,  Oaks  and  Hickories,  are  nearly  or 
quite  through  blooming,  and  are  pushing  the  leaves  and  fruits  toward 
full  growth.  The  Apple  and  Peach,  and  Pear  and  Plum,  are  scattering 
their  pink  or  snowy  petals  to  the  breezes,  supplying  the  bees  with  their 
food  and  drink,  the  fruit  trees  receiving  in  return  a more  certain  set  of 
fruits. 

This  is  a good  time  to  compare  the  appearance  of  the  trees  as 
they  were  in  the  winter  without  leaves,  and  now  in  the  late  spring  with 
the  leaves  almost  hiding  the  branches  from  sight. 

May  Blossoms. 

In  the  later  spring  we  find  the  petals  of  the  fruit  trees  and  bushes 
scattered  to  the  winds  after  a few  days  work  on  the  part  of  the  bees. 
The  Chestnut  is  lagging  behind  its  relatives,  the  Oaks,  and  will  wait 
until  its  leaves  are  fully  grown  before  the  blossoms  will  appear  that 
will  give  the  nuts  for  next  winter’s  fireside.  More  conspicuous 
than  the  single  flowers  of  the  other  trees  are  the  blossoms  of  the  Tulip 
Tree  or  Poplar.  These  are  like  an  orange-and-slate  tulip  blossom, 
compact  cone  of  pistils  at  the  center  of  the  flower  slowly  ripen,  and 


12 


pistils  in  a compact  cone  at  the  center  of  the  flower  slowly  ripen,  and 
of  which  it  was  finally  separated.  The  winds  of  the  fall  break  up  the 
cone  and  scatter  the  individual  fruits  of  which  it  was  formed. 

With  the  coming  of  May  the  roadside  weeds  become  more  abund- 
ant, and  over  everything  the  new  growth  of  vine  and  climbing  plant 
extends,  as  if  to  hide  the  fences  and  old  brush  piles.  Wild  Honey- 
suckle is  at  the  front  in  this  work  of  hiding  things,  and  adds  the  two- 
lipped flower  for  the  slender  tongues  of  the  honey  lovers.  See  what 
these  are.  Later  the  Trumpet-vine  will  show  to  the  humming  bird  its 
orange  colored  tube,  and  the  bumble  bee  will  try  to  get  the  nectar  too. 
See  whether  he  succeeds,  and  if  you  can  see  whether  he  does  as  much 
good  as  does  the  little  humming  bird.  (Examine  the  flower.  Which  is 
likely  to  get  pollen  from  the  stamens  upon  the  pistil  best). 

Plants. 

Often  in  the  clover  fields  there  will  be  seen  patches  of  yellow 
threads,  that  break  easily,  and  have  compact  clusters  of  small  white 
blossoms  scattered  along  their  length.  This  is  the  Dodder,  a plant 
that  lets  the  clover  do  the  work  of  preparing  the  food  that  it  needs 
for  its  own  use,  and  then  steals  part  of  it.  The  Dodder  is  a parasite 
and  since  it  has  neither  roots  nor  leaves,  it  cannot  do  any  food  pre- 
paring for  itself,  so  it  finds  some  plant  that  it  can  grow  upon,  and 
steals  what  it  needs  from  the  more  valuable  member  of  the  plant  com- 
munity. All  the  Dodder  does  is  to  feed  upon  the  Clover  and  blossom 
so  as  to  set  seed  for  the  next  year’s  crop  of  Dodder.  Get  some  of  the 
seed  and  see  how  near  they  resemble  those  of  Clover  in  size  and  weight. 

The  Indian  Pipe  grows  in  oak  woods  in  the  summer  months,  and 
looks  as  is  shown  in  the  photograph  (io).  It,  too,  is  a lazv  plant,  using 
the  food  that  other  plants  have  prepared  instead  of  doing  the  work  for 
itself.  But  in  this  case  it  does  not  use  any  of  the  food  until  the  other 
plant  is  through  with  it,  then  it  gets  what  is  left  in  the  fallen  leaves. 
In  order  to  do  this  it  goes  into  partnership  with  some  fungous  plant, 
which  helps  it  to  get  the  nourishment  from  the  decaying  leaves,  and  in 
so  doing  help  the  leaves  along  their  path  of  decay.  The  Dodder  does  no 
good  that  we  can  see,  but  the  Indian  Pipe  is  of  service  in  assisting  the 
formation  of  the  rich  wood  soil,  through  the  breaking  dowTn  of  the  re- 
mains of  leaves  and  twigs. 


13 


The  Mistletoe  is  another  lazy  plant ; but  as  it  has  leaves  of  its  own 
it  does  some  of  the  work  of  food  preparation  for  its  own  self.  Even 
by  doing  part  of  the  work  itself  it  often  kills  trees  when  it  gets  abund- 
ant upon  their  branches,  as  in  the  Southwest. 

The  Evening  Primrose  is  due  for  blossoms  from  now  on,  and  will 
be  a good  plant  to  watch.  The  night  flying  moths  visit  this  flower  to 
do  the  work  that  bees  do  for  so  many  plants,  in  return  for  the  nectar 
they  receive.  On  what  part  of  the  stem  do  the  new  blossoms  come? 
How  long  does  one  flower  last?  Do  they  last  any  longer  in  dull,  cloudy 
weather  than  on  bright  sunny  days?  When  the  seeds  are  ripe  see  how 
they  get  out  from  the  seedpods.  Evening  Primrose  is  of  special  in- 
terest as  being  a plant  that  has  developed,  in  the  past  few  years,  of 
its  own  accord,  a new  form  as  distinct  as  two  wild  ones  that  would  be 
called  different  species.  This  occurred  among  plants  grown  in  a 
garden  from  the  seed  of  one  original  plant,  and  the  new  form  has 
grown  from  its  seed  as  true  to  name  as  did  the  old  plant  before  the 
new  one  appeared. 

Some  Friends  of  Late  Spring. 

The  middle  of  May  finds  the  later  spring  flowers  hurrying  to  get 
their  blossoms  out  before  too  great  heat,  or  too  dense  shade  comes  to 
interfere  with  their  healthful  growth  and  development.  The  Fringe 
Tree  with  its  large  leaves  and  clusters  of  white  flowers  hanging  like 
tassels  at  the  tips  of  the  branches,  is  due  now,  with  Tradescantia,  Blue 
Flag,  Lady’s  Slipper,  Azalea  and  the  early  representatives  of  the  Sun- 
flower family.  The  Fringe-tree  is  shown  in  the  photograph  (n),  with 
the  leaves  showing  above  each  cluster  of  white  tassels.  The  first  of 
the  Sunflower  family  is  usually  found  in  shaded  woods,  and  is 
often  tall  and  slender,  with  golden-yellow  flowers,  each  on  a distinct 
stem.  This  is  Senecio  (or  Golden  Rag- wort).  If  there  is  only  one 
flower,  or  one  large  and  a few  slightly  smaller  flowers,  at  the  top  of 
a hairy  stem,  the  flowers  like  a Daisy,  only  lavendar  or  bluish  instead 
of  white,  the  name  to  be  given  would  be  “Robins  Plantain.”  Or  if  there 
was  a flat  cluster  of  leaves,  a rosette,  on  the  ground,  the  leaves  bristly, 
and  the  veins  colored  reddish,  it  would  probably  be  Golden  Hawkweed, 
especially  if  there  are  several  golden-yellow  blossoms  at  the  top  of 
the  slender  stalk.  The  flowers  do  not  have  a center  like  the  Daisy,  but 


14 


are  like  the  blue  Chicory  that  will  come  later,  only  ray  or  strap-shaped 
flowers  are  found  in  the  flower-head.  (The  Daisy  has  white  rays  and 
yellow  disc  flowers,  each  one  of  them  being  a single  flower,  the  whole 
“blossom”  being  properly  called  a flower  head).  After  these  forerun- 
ners the  relatives  come  along  rapidly,  Daisies,  Sunflowers,  Wild  Let- 
tuce, Bone-set  or  Thoroughwort,  Thistles,  and  the  many  forms  of 
Golden  Rod  and  Aster.  With  these  and  other  forms  the  family  of  the 
Sunflowers  will  keep  the  fields  occupied  with  their  brilliant  or  delicate 
colors  until  the  last  Aster  is  killed  by  frost,  or  some  hungry  animal 
feeds  upon  a lingering  Golden  Rod. 

June  Is  Here. 

The  last  week  of  school  find  the  wild  Rose,  Laurel,  wild  Peas  of 
several  kinds,  and  Grasses  all  in  bloom.  The  Rose  and  Laurel  are  two 
that  it  will  pay  to  watch  for  a while  some  morning.  The  bees  visit  the 
blossoms  of  each,  but  do  not  act  the  same  in  both  cases.  Find  a clump 
of  Roses  that  are  freshly  opened,  and  see  what  a bee  does  as  it  gets  the 
nectar  that  is  to  be  found  by  him  at  the  base  of  the  petals.  When  he 
has  finished  with  two  or  three  flowers  see  what  he  will  do  next.  Hav- 
ing seen  the  bees  at  work  in  the  Rose,  watch  them  in  the  Laurel  flowers, 
and  observe  to  how  great  an  extent  they  work  the  same  in  the  two 
cases,  and  why  there  are  any  differences  in  their  way  of  working.  The 
milk- weeds  are  coming  into  bloom  in  early  June;  one  of  the  earliest 
being  the  conspicuous  “Butterfly  Weed,”  the  deep  orange  flowered 
weed  of  pastures  and  meadows.  Another  kind  that  likes  the  dryer 
land  has  small  white  flowers  each  on  a distinct  stalk,  the  whole  plant 
being  much  looser  in  its  appearance  than  the  other,  and  the  pods  are 
much  more  slender. 

The  wild  Raspberries,  Strawberries  and  Blackberries  are  getting 
their  fruits  ready  in  size  and  color  for  the  boys  to  pick  and  the  birds 
to  eat,  and  in  the  woods  the  Huckleberries  are  getting  ripe  enough  for 
the  pies  and  shortcake  that  taste  so  good  at  haying  time.  In  the 
lower  ground  the  May  Apple  should  be  turning  yellow  and  soon  be 
ready  for  those  who  like  them  to  eat,  while  looking  for  that  old  spring 
from  which  to  get  a cool  drink. 


FIGURE  11 NATURE’S  FRINGES  IN  LOOSE  TASSELS. 


FIGURE  12 — YOUTH  AND  OLD  AGE,  A FALLEN  CHESTNUT  SHOWING  YOUNG  AND 

OLD  BARK. 


IHt  LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

oh'vlosity  'F !'  * mois 


15 


Summer’s  Contrast  wit  In  Spring. 

Before  school  closes  for  the  summer,  take  the  class  to  several  of 
the  plots  suggested  in  the  earlier  part  of  this  bulletin,  and  call  atten- 
tion to  the  difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  plots  now,  and  as  they 
were  when  first  measured  in  the  early  spring.  Many  of  the  plants  that 
were  then  prominent,  have  given  place  to  later  ones  and  left  hardly  a 
sign  behind  them  to  show  that  they  had  been  there.  Of  this  character 
is  the  Erythronium,  which  wilts  down  so  completely  as  the  seeds  are 
ripening,  that  by  the  time  they  are  ripe  it  is  hard  to  find  the  plants, 
and  in  a few  weeks  more,  practically  no  trace  remains  above  ground. 
Other  plants  come  in  to  occupy  the  ground  these  earlier  forms  used, 
and  some  of  these  will  in  turn  give  way  to  still  later  kinds;  but  the 
change  is  not  so  noticeable  as  with  the  first  flowers.  Examine  if  pos- 
sible one  of  the  little  beds  of  seedlings,  where  the  plants  were  so  thick 
at  first.  How  many  are  there  now  out  of  the  many  that  were  then 
seen?  Compare  this  observation  on  the  wild  seed  bed,  with  the  exer- 
cise in  the  class-room  on  seedlings,  using  the  Radish  and  Lettuce  seed. 
Does  the  seed  box  help  to  explain  why  there  are  not  so  many  plants 
now  as  there  were  when  the  plants  were  first  observed  ? 

Compare,  too,  the  trees,  that  now  are  covered  with  leaves,  so  as  to 
hide  almost  completely  the  skeleton  that  supports  them,  with  the  same 
trees  as  they  were  in  the  spring,  bare  and  dark.  Turn  to  the  first  two 
photographs  and  see  the  difference  the  leaves  make  in  the  landscape. 
Take  a twig,  and  by  laying  it  upon  a desk,  see  how  completely  its 
leaves  cover  the  surface ; then  remove  the  leaves  and  see  how  little  of  the 
surface  is  hidden.  This  and  similar  simple  exercises  will  show  how 
much  greater  is  the  surface  of  the  plant  which  is  exposed  to  the  sunlight 
of  summer, than  is  that  exposed  to  the  storms  of  winter  (in  broad  leaved 
plants).  Turn  back  to  buds*  and  see  if  there  is  any  relation  between 
the  arrangement  of  the  leaves  and  the  work  of  those  same  leaves, 
(leaves  make  starch  in  sunlight,  and  by  keeping  out  of  each  other’s 
shadow,  each  leaf  has  an  equal  chance  to  make  its  share).  From  the 
above  suggestions  the  teacher  can  select  or  add  such  as  will  give  a good 
basis  for  a closing  exercise  on  the  last  day  of  school.  This  could  be  so 
managed  as  to  show  to  the  parents  how  much  there  is  to  be  seen  about 


Page  1. 


i6 


the  school  and  farm,  and  indicate  their  children’s  growth  in  expres- 
sion and  power  of  observation.  Compare  the  bark  on  young  and  old 
parts  of  a tree,  as  figure  12. 

V acation  Days. 

Now  because  school  has  closed  and  the  teacher  has  gone  home,  do 
not  let  the  pupils  think  that  there  is  nothing  more  to  learn  until  the 
door  is  unlocked  again,  and  the  teacher  rings  the  bell.  Ask  the  scholars 
to  keep  their  eyes  open,  and  to  tell  you,  teacher,  what  they  may  have 
seen  during  the  summer,  and  on  your  part  do  not  fail  to  ask  for  their 
accounts  when  the  time  comes  and  school  is  open. 

The  Thistle  is  one  of  the  plants  of  vacation  time.  How  many 
kinds  grow  near  the  school  ? What  insects  commonly  visit  thistle  flow- 
ers, and  do  any  birds  eat  the  seeds  before  they  are  quite  ripe  enough 
to  be  blown  about  by  the  wind  ? Another  weed  of  pastures  is  the  Mul- 
len or  Velvet  Leaf.  This  has  several  velvety  leaves  on  the  ground,  from 
which  there  arises  a leafy  stalk  with  yellow  flowers.  The  stalk  lasts 
almost  all  winter.  See  if  there  is  any  reason  for  this  long  endurance 
of  the  dry  flower  stalk.  There  is  a nearly  smooth  form  that  has  yel- 
lowish or  pale  pink  flowers,  and  usually  has  a number  of  globular  seed 
capsules  below  the  flowers  on  a more  slender  stalk  than  the  previous 
form. 

The  stamens  of  the  slender  Mullen  and  of  some  other  plants  are 
fringed  with  hairs  that  add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the  flower,  when 
seen  close  by. 

In  comers  of  orchards,  and  sometimes  in  fields,  there  is  a plant 
that  is  delicate  enough  in  its  appearance  to  be  a garden  flower,  if  it 
did  not  have  the  bad  habit  of  staying  when  it  is  not  wanted,  and  go- 
ing where  other  plants  are  desired.  This  is  the  “Lace  Flower,”  but  it 
is  more  often  called  “Wild  Carrot,”  and  is  shown  in  its  natural  growth 
in  photograph  13.  This  plant  is  also  called  “Birds-nest” — see  if  you 
can  discover  why.  The  “Butter-and-Eggs”  blossoms  along  the  roads 
in  the  vacation  season,  and  is  a well-known  weed,  but  not  a serious 
one.  There  are  various  wild  Clovers,  Vetches,  and  their  relatives  in 
the  fields  and  woods;  the  Sweet  Clover,  yellow  and  white,  tries  to 
hide  the  bareness  of  the  vacant  city  lot,  or  the  neglected  corner  of  the 
commons.  Through  the  lighter  soils  of  the  state  the  Rabbit  or  Woolly 


FIGURE  13 WILD  “LACE  FLOWERS,”  SOME  CALL  IT  WILD  CARROT. 


FIGURE  14 THE  COILED-UP  YOUNG  LEAVES  OF  FERNS. 


\Ht  l***1 


i7 


Head  Clover  is  found  often  to  the  embarrassment  of  the  strawberry 
grower.  All  these  Clover  plants  have  tubercles  on  their  roots  as  in  the 
case  of  cultivated  forms ; pull  some  up  and  see  the  little  knobs  on  the 
roots.  Are  these  more  abundant  in  the  wild  or  cultivated  forms  on  the 
same  kind  of  soil? 

July  Plants. 

In  July  the  Swamp-mallow  will  be  blooming  along  the  edges  of 
the  tide  marshes,  along  with  various  other  marsh  lovers.  If  convenient 
to  get  some  of  these  in  flower  see  what  resemblance  there  is  between 
them  and  the  Hollyhock,  and  the  shrubby  Hibiscus  in  the  flower.  The 
little  “Cheese-mallow”  is  also  a relative  of  the  rest.  Along  the  edges 
of  the  woods,  especially  in  damp  shaded  places,  there  may  be  found  a 
plant  called  “Jewel-weed,”  related  to  the  Balsam  of  the  garden.  See 
if  the  pupils  can  learn  why  the  plants  gets  its  name — jewel.  As  a sug- 
gestion try  holding  a leaf  under  water  under  side  up.  Is  it  wet  ? Why 
not?  How  are  the  seeds  scattered  in  this  plant?  This  gives  another 
of  its  names — Touch-me-not. 

During  July  the  ferns  that  came  first  as  woolly  coiled  “crosiers” 
(see  figure  14)  will  be  fully  grown,  and  offer  much  in  the  way  of 
beauty  in  the  cooler  woods  (figure  15).  Sometimes  a couple  of  doz- 
en kinds  can  be  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  school,  and  a few  leaves 
pressed  between  newspapers  can  be  used  during  the  winter  in  the  in- 
door nature-study.  Before  the  frosts  come  one  or  two  clumps  of  the 
most  common  fern  in  your  neighborhood  might  be  dug  up  and  left  in 
the  wood-house  for  a few  weeks,  covered  with  old  sacks.  Toward 
Thanksgiving  Day  put  the  plants  in  a box  of  earth  big  enough  for  the 
roots  to  be  not  crowded  and  watch  the  development  of  the  fern  fronds 
indoors. 

In  August  and  September  the  Goldenrods  and  Asters  will  be  the 
prominent  flowers  of  the  fields  and  woods.  The  Cardinal  Flower  will 
be  found  along  the  little  streams  that  run  through  the  pasture,  and  the 
Closed  Gentian  is  likely  to  be  near  by.  How  does  the  bee  get  the  nectar 
from  the  flower  of  the  Closed  Gentian? 

Scliool  Again. 

With  the  reassembling  of  the  pupils  in  September  one  of  the 
things  likely  to  be  noticed,  if  only  a hint  is  given,  is  the  difference  in 


i8 


the  plant  life  that  has  come  during  the  vacation.  In  June  the  plants 
were  fresh  and  bright  in  their  new  suits  of  green,  the  new  wood  was 
soft  and  watery,  and  still  growing,  and  the  fruits  still  green  in  many 
cases.  But  in  September  the  leaves  are  dirty  with  the  dust  of  the  sum- 
mer and  ragged  with  the  work  of  the  summer's  insects.  The  fruits 
have  ripened,  and  the  wood  of  the  twigs  has  become  harder  and  less 
watery  so  as  to  be  ready  for  the  winter.  And  buds,  that  we  noticed 
the  first  of  the  year,  are  well  developed  for  the  next  season. 

Among  the  plants  commonly  called  “weeds,”  are  some  worth 
noticing  in  addition  to  those  already  mentioned.  Along  the  waysides 
and  paths  the  Plantains  with  their  ribbed  leaves,  hence  called  “Rib 
Grass,”  are  found  mainly  in  two  forms,  narrow  and  broad  leaved. 
Both  of  these  are  found  in  grass,  in  contrast  to  the  downy  forms  that 
occur  on  more  nearly  bare  soil.  The  seed  is  about  the  size  of  clover 
seed,  and  is  likely  to  be  distributed  on  account  of  that  feature.  How  ? 

The  fences  and  neglected  corners  generally  are  likely  to  have  the 
Burdock  and  Yarrow,  with  the  several  plants  called  “Pig-weeds.”  These 
are  coarse  plants,  all  of  them,  and  have  little  if  any  value  in  this  re- 
gion. Relatives  of  the  Pig-weed  are  used  where  other  food  is  scarce 
for  fodder.  In  vacant  city  lots,  and  similar  localities,  the  two  forms 
of  wild  lettuce  are  to  be  seen.  One  of  these  is  practically  a compass 
plant,  tilting  its  leaves  edgewise  so  the  upper  and  under  faces  are 
exposed  to  the  light  equally,  and  their  stalks  twisted  so  that  they  all  are 
located  on  the  north  and  south  sides  of  the  stem.  Try  transplanting 
some  of  these,  and  see  if  the  plant  will  correct  any  variation  as  it  is 
replanted. 

Watch  the  tangles  of  vines  over  the  shrubbery  and  fences  at  the 
sides  of  the  road,  for  the  tufts  of  plumes  of  the  Virgin’s  Bower,  and 
for  the  red  fruits  of  the  Bitter-sweet.  These  last  appear  to  have  two 
colors  to  the  fruit,  as  the  outer  portion  curls  back  exposing  the  bright 
scarlet  pulp,  against  the  lighter  red  of  the  husk.  A second  redberried 
fruit  is  that  of  the  Strawberry  Bush ; these  are  three-lobed  in  clusters 
at  the  ends  of  slender  green  twigs.  The  plant  finds  its  home  in  the 
edges  of  moist  woods,  and  may  be  recognized  earlier  in  the  year  by  the 
green  bark,  flowers  resembling  those  of  a “wax  plant”  often  seen  in 
homes.  The  leaves  are  opposite  each  other,  making  a row  on  the  sides 
of  the  twig,  in  contrast  to  those  alternating  along  the  two  sides.  As 


FIGURE  15 FULL-GROWN  FERNS  IN  A SHADY  NOOK. 


FIGURE  10 — WHERE  THE  FAIRIES  DANCE. 


• <t  i mm 
of  THE 

IttiVEHSITY  Of  um 


19 


the  fall  gets  nearer  the  yellow  and  purple  Gerardias  will  be  found  close 
to  the  Goldenrods  and  Asters  along  the  edges  of  the  woods  or  shaded 
roadsides.  Both  the  Goldenrods  and  the  Asters  belong  to  the  same 
family  with  the  Sunflowers.  In  the  Asters  the  Sunflower  style  of  flower 
is  easily  seen,  as  the  center  of  the  “blossom”  is  different  in  color  from 
the  rays,  but  in  the  Goldenrod  this  is  not  so  clear  as  the  parts  are  so 
much  smaller,  and  all  are  of  the  same  color.  The  Daisy  and  Brown- 
eyed-Susan  belong  to  the  same  family. 

As  the  cold  weather  gets  near  the  coloring  of  the  leaves  will  be 
of  prime  interest  to  the  pupils.  What  kinds  color  first,  which  turn 
brightest,  which  have  green  and  red  in  bright  shades  on  the  same 
leaves  most  often,  which  stick  to  the  tree,  what  kinds  turn  brown  only 
and  which  let  the  flat  part  of  the  leaf  drop  before  the  leaf  stalk  drops  ? 
All  these  questions  and  more  can  be  asked  and  answered  at  the  season 
when  Jack  Frost  has  his  paint  pot  out  on  the  clear  frosty  nights. 

Let  the  pupils  gather  seeds  and  fruits  of  the  weeds  that  are  so 
abundant  now,  and  learn  to  know  them ; later  use  the  seed  so  collected 
for  a set  of  seed  boxes,  and  learn  to  recognize  the  seedlings  of  our 
worst  weeds.  How  do  the  seeds  of  the  weeds  get  scattered?  Do  the 
seeds  naturally  so  fall  on  the  ground  as  to  be  in  the  best  position  for 
germinating?  Watch  and  see  which  ones  tend  to  do  this  way. 

As  the  trees  shed  their  leaves,  show  the  pupils  how  much  less  sur- 
face there  is  for  the  snow  and  ice  to  cling  to  than  there  would  be  if  the 
leaves  remained  on  the  tree.  The  trees  that  keep  their  leaves  through 
the  winter  usually  have  narrow  ones  as  in  the  various  Pines  and  other 
cone  bearing  forms. 

Toadstools’  Autographs. 

In  the  grass  of  pastures  and  lawns  there  are  occasionally  seen 
more  or  less  complete  circles  of  toadstools.  These  are  the  Fairy  Rings 
that  legend  says  are  the  dancing  floors  of  the  fairies  and  other  little 
wood  people,  perhaps  of  the  Brownies,  whose  little  white  breeches  we 
saw  early  in  the  spring.  The  toadstools  live  upon  the  decaying  grass 
leaves  and  similar  material,  and  as  they  use  up  the  food  material,  the 
circle  is  made  larger  because  the  feeding  fibers  that  do  the  work  of 
roots,  grow  out  into  the  fresh  part  of  the  lawn  where  the  food  is  not 
used  up.  Part  of  one  of  these  circles  is  shown  in  the  photograph  1 6. 


20 


Now  to  get  the  autographs.  Take  some  of  the  toadstools  that  are  full 
grown,  but  not  old,  and  cut  the  stem  off  close  to  the  cap.  Put  the  cap, 
stem  side  down,  on  a piece  of  paper  (try  both  white  and  colored),  and 
cover  it  with  a tumbler  to  keep  it  free  from  any  current  of  air.  Let  it 
stand  over  night,  and  next  morning  lift  the  tumbler,  and  the  cap  very 
carefully  from  the  paper.  On  the  surface  of  the  paper  there  should 
be  a picture  of  the  under  side  of  the  cap.  This  has  been  formed  by 
the  spores  of  the  toadstool  sifting  down  from  their  tiny  stalks  all 
night,  each  one  falling  upon  the  paper  adding  its  little  to  the  whole  un- 
til the  picture  is  finished.  To  preserve  these  use  a thin  solution  of  gum 
arabic  in  water,  and  with  a soft  brush  wet  the  paper  through  from 
the  back , until  it  is  thoroughly  damp  all  over.  When  it  gets  dry  it 
can  be  handled  at  leisure.  Additional  kinds  of  toadstools  can  be  found 
in  the  woods  and  their  autographs  obtained  also.  There  is  too  great 
risk  of  death  in  eating  any  of  these  forms  to  allow  any  of  the  pupils 
to  try  them.  Do  not  eat  any  toadstool  or  mushroom  found  out  of 
doors.  There  is  not  food  enough  in  them  to  make  up  for  the  risk,  and 
there  is  no  antidote  for  the  poison  known. 

Winter  Is  Almost  Here. 

After  the  field  plants  are  dead  and  the  cold  nights  make  one  think 
of  Christmas  and  New  Year’s,  the  Witch-hazel  blooms,  and  the  ice 
wings  of  the  frost  weeds  come  on  the  frosty  mornings.  The  ice  wings 
are  usually  found  near  the  ground  on  the  stems  of  Goldenrod,  Aster 
and  Gerardia,  or  other  stiff  stemmed  plants,  growing  in  damp  places. 
The  wings — frost  flowers,  appear  as  ribbons  of  delicately  banded  ice 
crystals  projecting  from  the  stem,  often  in  graceful  and  complicated 
curves.  They  are  best  on  mornings  that  have  a “frost  fog”  at  sunrise 
and  for  a time  afterward.  If  they  are  found,  mark  the  stalks  and 
see  how  many  times  the  same  stalks  will  have  the  frost  flowers,  before 
the  stem  is  so  far  gone  that  no  more  can  be  formed. 

On  the  mornings  when  there  is  a heavy  white  frost  look  at  the 
leaves  and  other  frost  covered  objects,  and  see  how  the  frost  crystals 
are  ranged  on  the  surface,  and  along  the  edges.  Notice  how  differ- 
ently the  frost  forms  upon  the  different  surfaces,  as  they  happen  to  be 
of  different  substances.  Try  some  experiments,  putting  different  things 
at  various  places  in  the  school-yard  and  see  how  the  frost  acts.  Why 


FIGURE  17 — LEAFY  WOODS  IN  MIDSUMMER. 


FIGURE  18 — A ROCKY  NOOK. 


tikt  t.HMW 

Of  THE 

osivtRsiTY  of  n\m 


21 


does  a paper  keep  the  frost  from  injuring  plants  under  it?  Would  a 
leafy  branch  act  the  same  way,  if  close  enough?  Does  frost  form  on 
snow? 

Conclusion. 

These  notes  are  intended  to  suggest  some  topics  of  observation  for 
the  Maryland  teachers  in  their  nature-study  work,  but  do  not  attempt 
to  more  than  indicate  some  of  the  many  plants,  or  a few  of  the  many  in- 
cidents that  may  be  found  in  the  life  of  almost  any  plant.  The  year’s  ac- 
tivity of  our  common  plants  will  supply  material  in  abundance  for  the 
nature  work,  and  through  that  for  the  drawing  and  written  exercises 
as  the  pupil  tries  to  express  his  observations  on  plants.  In  the  older 
classes  the  simpler  exercises  can  be  extended  to  include  comparisons 
between  groups  and  individuals  among  the  plants,  and  between  the 
corresponding  parts  of  them.  Be  careful,  especially  in  the  higher 
grades,  not  to  get  formal  and  scientific;  be  accurate  and  truthful.  It 
is  nature  as  manifested  in  plant  life  that  we  are  to  study,  and  not 
Botany. 

The  teacher  should  keep  a note  book  for  personal  records  of  the 
topics  used,  and  observations  made  in  the  class,  and  hard  questions 
asked.  This  will  help  in  avoiding  the  repeated  use  of  the  same  material, 
and  the  duplication  of  closely  similar  exercises.  Get  all  the  meat  from 
the  nut  while  it  is  in  hand,  and  then  pass  on  to  something  else.  But 
refer  back  occasionally  when  a comparison  or  difference  is  striking  be- 
tween a new  and  an  old  exercise. 

The  study  of  seedlings,  and  their  response  to  light  is  a topic  that 
may  revive  interest  when  some  other  forms  of  exercise  may  fail.  Try 
all  the  different  seeds  that  can  be  obtained,  including  such  as  the  cas- 
tor “bean,”  nasturtium,  the  forage  plants  as  cow  peas  and  soy  beans, 
and  any  others,  and  much  will  be  discovered  a little  different  from  what 
it  was  thought  to  be. 

Try  to  have  the  work  mature  along  with  the  pupil,  so  that  the 
child  that  in  the  kindergarden  grade,  compared  in  shape  and  size  the 
early  leaves  with  those  of  summer  (figure  17)  will  still  have  so  much 
interest  in  nature  study  as  to  be  eager  for  the  plot  work  or  school 
gardening. 


22 


A.  Baltimore  School  Garden. 

The  garden  in  the  school-yard  shown  in  the  photograph*  is  now 
in  its  second  year.  It  is  a part  of  the  girls  playground  of  school  62, 
Walbrook  avenue  and  Smallwood  street,  Baltimore,  and  has  been  de- 
veloped by  Miss  Elizabeth  Montell.  Many  of  the  seeds  are  used  first 
in  the  school-room  in  cigar  boxes,  etc.,  filled  with  earth,  and  the  young 
plants  later  transplanted  to  the  beds  shown. 

The  soil  for  these  beds  was  brought  in  from  outside  by  the  boys, 
and  all  the  work  of  preparation  of  the  ground  and  care  of  the  plants 
and  so  on,  is  done  by  the  pupils.  Both  flower  and  vegetable  plants 
are  raised,  especially  such  as  grow  quickly,  as  radish  and  lettuce. 

The  photograph  shows  also  the  general  character  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  of  the  school-yard. 

The  pupils  regard  this  work  as  a treat,  and  it  is,  therefore,  avail- 
able as  a means  of  discipline,  the  privilege  or  its  denial,  acting  as 
a reward  or  punishment  as  the  case  may  be. 

Miss  Montell  is  one  of  the  enthusiastic  teachers  who  is  adding 
nature-study  to  her  class-room  work  of  her  own  accord.  She  feels 
that  it  pays  both  from  the  teacher’s  and  pupil’s  standpoint,  allowing 
each  a bit  of  relaxation  from  the  more  formal  and  strict  work  of  the 
programme. 


*Taken  by  J.  H.  Schaefer,  May,  1905.  All  other  photographs  by  author. 


A BALTIMORE  SCHOOL  GARDEN, 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


IF  YOU  WISH  TO  BECOME 


A Scientific  Farmer, 

An  Engineer, 

A Student  of  Natural  Science, 
A Teacher. 


In  short,  if  you  wish  to  secure  a scientific  and  literary 
training  that  will  fit  you  for  an  honorable  pursuit  in  life, 

THE 

Maryland  Agricultural  College 


Offers  Exceptional  Advantages. 
TUITION  FREE  IN  ALL  COURSES. 


THE  EXPENSE  FOR 

BOARD,  BOOKS  AND  INCIDENTALS  IS  VERY  MODERATE. 
Spring  Term  Opens  Tuesday,  April  25,  1905. 

Fall  Term  Opens  Thursday,  September  14,  1905. 
Candidates  for  Admission  will  be  Examined 
September  19  and  20. 

The  College  is  located  on  the  B.  & O.,  and  City  and  Suburban 

Electric  Railroads,  eight  miles  north  of  Washington,  D.  C. 

For  Catalogue,  and  other  Information,  Address 

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COLLEGE  PARK,  MD. 


